1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a server connected to a plurality of client computers through a network, particularly to an apparatus supporting a server that operates an electronic conference system by storing opinions on the network in electronic data format and allowing users to browse the opinions.
2. Description of the Background Art
A system is known that stores information on a server connected to a network for allowing users to browse, e.g., electronic bulletin boards, electronic conference systems and chat rooms. In such a system, a count of browsing will be more and an activity of conferencing will more increase if much more information can be stored on the server by the users.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 11-45279 discloses a system that measures the usage status of bulletin boards and the activity of conferencing in the systems of electronic bulletin boards and electronic conferencing. According to the electronic bulletin board system disclosed in this publication, correspondence transmitted from a user is posted on a designated bulletin board among a plurality of bulletin boards provided for respective predetermined subjects. This system includes a usage status measuring circuit checking the usage status of each bulletin board to determine an inactive bulletin board and an active bulletin board, a similar correspondence identify circuit to identify correspondence similar to the correspondence in an inactive bulletin board from the correspondence in an active bulletin board determined by the usage status measuring circuit, and a related correspondence display circuit to display information of an active bulletin board posted with the correspondence identified to be similar by the similar correspondence identify circuit at the inactive bulletin board identified to be similar.
The usage status measuring circuit checks the usage status of each bulletin board to determine an inactive bulletin board and an active bulletin board. The similar correspondence identify circuit identifies correspondence similar to the correspondence in an inactive bulletin board from the correspondence in the active bulletin board determined by the usage status measuring circuit. The related correspondence display circuit displays at the inactive bulletin board the information of the active bulletin board with the correspondence determined as to be similar determined by the similar correspondence identify circuit.
According to the disclosed system, the correspondence posted at the active bulletin board and that is similar to the correspondence posted at the inactive bulletin board is identified, and information of that active bulletin board is presented at the inactive bulletin board. Accordingly, an inactive bulletin board can be rendered active.
An apparatus that analyzes the contents of a bulletin board and conference in an electronic bulletin board and electronic conference system according to the interest of the user is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 11-203326. The electronic conference support apparatus disclosed in this publication is connected to a network to allow conferencing for a plurality of users to store and browse electronic documents. The apparatus includes a classifying circuit classifying opinions in conferencing according to an attribute information of an opinion and a relation to another opinion, a conference management data generation circuit generating conference management data including the attribute information and electronic document representing an opinion in a conference, an extraction circuit that extracts an electronic document based on search terms for the conference management data, a management data generation circuit connected to the extraction circuit generating management data including the logic position information of the conference management data including the extracted electronic documents and the extracted electronic documents, and an output circuit providing the management data as a user's interest information.
The classifying circuit classifies the opinions in the conference based on attribute information of an opinion and the relation to another opinion. The conference management data generation circuit generates the conference management data including the attribute information and electronic document. The extraction circuit retrieves the electronic document according to the search terms for the conference management data. The management data generation circuit generates the management data including the logic position information of the conference management data including the extracted electronic documents and the extracted electronic documents. The output circuit provides the management data.
According to this apparatus, the user can retrieve an opinion according to his or her interest using a visual search result based on the logic position information.
However, the electronic bulletin board system disclosed in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 11-45279 only makes an inactive bulletin board active. The user cannot identify in real time the current usage status of the bulletin board.
The electronic conference support apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 11-203326 can only search for an opinion according to the user's interest based on the management data that are already under control of a management circuit. The user cannot identify in real time that conferencing of high interest to the user is currently made in the electronic conference system.